


Tell It Truly

by Zarius



Category: Danger Mouse (Cartoon 2015), Danger Mouse (TV)
Genre: Gen, Librarians, Libraries, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 04:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20057755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zarius/pseuds/Zarius
Summary: Squawk makes her way to the library to return a book, only to find it being loudly disrupted





	Tell It Truly

A vast queue of people had flocked to one of London's local libraries looking to seize a most unique opportunity. To have their book signed by R.J Hartley, the author of the highly acclaimed Yellow Rages crime dramas.

The series, centred on the exploits of a group of cowardly crooks who operate their ring out of an anger management class, has captivated the country and sold millions. Now the author is here in the heart of the city waiting to greet his adoring fans.

Yes, good times await anyone who is both understanding and patient.

A pity then that these traits aren't being put on proud show by the Danger Agency's most accomplished scientist, who even as we speak, is elbowing and pushing her way through the teeming crowds eager to jump ahead.

"Out of the way, watch it, move that keister, work off that fat, I'm coming through" she said aloud as she cut a path for herself, greatly irritating people who were waiting in line.

She even resorted to standing on some heads when they outright refused to budge until somebody else in the queue did.

Finally, Squawk made it to the front door of the library, only to be stopped in her tracks by a security guard.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but there's to be no skipping ahead in the queue" he said sternly.

Squawk grabbed him by the collar.

"I'm on a deadline, if you don't let me advance, you'll find herself on the end of that line" Squawk said, holding up a book.

The guard looked at the title, and then checked the return date imprinted on a velvet red stamp that encircled the front cover.

"July 29th. I see, so this is not a copy of R.J Hartley's book?"

"I deal in facts, hardly any fiction" said Squawk.

The guard let her through, Squawk dashed madly towards the reception desk

"Excuse me" she said to the librarian as she polished her glasses, urging Squawk to lower the volume of her voice.

"Sorry, you loaned this to me on the 18th of May and I'm just returning it before one this afternoon"

The librarian pointed to the clock, it read quarter to two.

Squawk stared at the clock in shock.

"But...but that can't be right, my watch reads it as five to one" Squawk argued, pointing to the watch attached to her wrist, the primary image on the watch was that of Danger Mouse, his fingers serving as the minute hands.

"That's the last time I borrow a time piece from Danger Mouse, he's only gone and forgotten about summer daytime savings" Squawk realized.

The librarian extended her hand, and let out an errant cough, she pointed to the library's policies that required a fine to be paid if the book being returned was late.

"Look, I didn't exactly come prepared; I thought I had plenty of time, could you let this slide just the one time? I rarely take books out of the library"

The librarian pondered Squawk's pleas, but ultimately shook her head.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering cry of diabolical laughter rung through the library, which prompted the librarian to hold up a sign, reading 'Oh dear, not her again'

"That voice sounds very familiar" said Squawk.

The librarian continued to scribble down words on cue cards.

Squawk read them out aloud, each attempt at speaking however was met with insistencies that she lowers her voice.

"Every Monday, without fail, the local schools arrive for the weekly book club, one of their numbers repeatedly makes the most commotion, spoiling how the books end and encouraging the children to make as much noise as possible"

Squawk wondered just why the librarian was putting up with it.

"Why don't you toss her out of the library then?" she asked

Another row of cue cards were held up in response.

"She always brings muscle" she said.

As if to directly answer her inquiries, several stacks of book cases toppled over and the muscle of the menace revealed itself to be Mr. Snuggles, holding a frightened security guard in one paw and a petrified R.J Hartley upside down in another.

Coming up behind Snuggles was Dawn Crumhorn and her student body.

"Ok Mr. Hartley, 'fess up in front of my friends and you won't be hurt any further" Dawn said as loud as she could.

Squawk wrote down a few words on some leftover cue cards, handed them to the librarian, and walked over to Dawn and Snuggles.

The librarian read the cue cards left by Squawk.

"I'll sort this out, when I do, no ifs about it, keep that in mind when I plead for leniency next"

"Alright, just what's going on here?" asked Squawk, keeping the volume of her voice as low as possible.

"You're the mean lady who once tried to play with me, only you played me for a fool" Dawn said, still very loud.

"Trust me kids, play time with Dawn isn't as fun as it's cracked up to be" Squawk said, trying to cater to the common sense and morals of Dawn's innocent friends before they were led down a dark path.

"Please unhand me you pink predator" said Hartley as Snuggles rocked him back and forth in the grip of his paw.

"You heard the llama, unhand him. This is not looking good for you Dawn, think about how this will look on your course credit"

"Credit, that's what this is about chicken little, credit where credit is due. Mr. Hartley here is a cheat, a dirty rotten scam artist. Ask him about what he was up to in Paris in 2005." Dawn replied.

"The last time I saw Paris, I did nothing but write and drink in the lazy summer months" said Hartley.

"Oh you drank a lot, but the writing was all down to one person...my mother, Isla Dawn Crumhorn"

"She's lying, there's an author/student comradeship in one of my children's books, she came up to my booth clutching a copy of it in her hand and began reading a riot act to me...a literal one that she claimed her mother had written herself"

"She left it in coded messages scattered throughout the book, I circled the letters that make up the words informing us of what a rotten scammer you are"

Squawk took the book from Dawn's hands and scanned the pages.

"Read it aloud, and don't hold back for the sake of that stricter-than-strict librarian, share what is written, and tell it truly"

Squawk raised the volume of her voice ever so slightly.

"Ideally, this goes to my dearest husband, or my precious child, if you or another clever crumb have cracked this code, then you are learning for the first time the truth behind my 'mentor' R.J Hartley, he is a fowl-tempered craven hearted drunkard who is in dire need of anger management. He has forced me to write this story for he cannot find it within himself to complete it of his own accord. His wealth is vast and I offered to write the book so as to acquire funding for your business and to secure our child's future. He has sworn me to secrecy or he will withdraw the funding. I am not working off of any notes and aside from a few incoherent rambles serving as 'suggestions', most of this is my own work. Please see to it this cracked code goes out to any and all within distance of hearing it. The truth will always lead you to the greater stories yet to tell. Yours, Isla"

Squawk walked over to the hapless Hartley.

"It's quite clear to me now why you wrote books about cowardly crooks, it's therapy for you isn't it? A way to mask your guilt and secrets by giving them an outlet, to let it all hang out in public without having to confess everything...because if they all knew the truth, you'd be finished"

Squawk looked up to Snuggles.

"Snuggles, I deal in facts, and the fact is this man is a work of fiction that is best served to the wolves"

Snuggles smiled, walked over to a window, opened it, and dropped Hartley out of it and into the massive crowds lined up to see him.

"There's a couple of wolves in that crowd, they don't seem to be eating 'em though, more like helping him ride the crowd like a wave"

"Next time Snuggles, don't take anything I say too literally" Squawk replied.

"By letting him get away, I guess the one thing I can spoil is justice" Dawn said, pouting.

Squawk knelt down beside her.

"Not to worry Dawn, we still have the code, and as your mother said, others will have worked it out too, it's only a matter of time before this all piles up and he's left with nothing but the book thrown at him"

"It'd be better if the book thrown at him was by me, filled with nothing but codes to crack for my friends that could entice them"

"I thought you said the reading process was dull?" Squawk asked.

"Yes, but now it's a game"

"Just don't make it a dangerous one" Squawk replied.

"I don't play fair with the likes of you, you know that, you should know, you've done the same to me" said Dawn.

"Yes, I suppose I fell right into that one. How about we play something now?"

"What could you possibly want to play?"

"Well, since you're so intent on spoiling stories, how about reading a book where the whole intent is to spoil something in it? Like the precise location of a character?"

"That intrigues me" said Dawn.

"I know the perfect book; ever hear of 'Where's Wally?"

And so the Professor found an archive of Where's Wally books in the children's section and gathered Dawn and the children to partake in the challenge, and they all remained in the library for as long as it took, keeping as quiet as they could...

...Until Dawn yelled Wally's location out aloud as soon as she pinpointed him.

Solve one problem, keep another.


End file.
